Press member



May-26,1959 l s. c. PRCY PRESSMEMBER Filed Jan. 3, 1955 lwnlmwmm nited States Patent PRESS MEMBER C. Percy, Tacoma, Wash., assignor to Rayplate Corporation, a corporation of Illinois Sheldon This invention relates to a press member for machines used in connection with garment pressing and/or cleaning and is particularly adapted for use on steam presses and fhot head presses. In a steam press, one or more steam permeable surfaces is urged with Substantial force upon one or both sides of a fabric or garment to be pressed, steam and pressure both combining to effect a pressing operation. In the hot head type of press, the pressing surface is not steam permeable.

For many fabrics such as worsted and woven woolen material, it is desirable to avoid pressing with a smooth surface. With pressing surfaces that are steam permeable, conventional pressing members may have pressing surfaces which impart to the pressed fabric moire, shine and other undesirable surface finishes. Moire is caused by the pattern of the pressing surface imprinted upon the pattern of the fabric being pressed. Where the pressing surface has a regular pattern, the resulting moire is quite noticeable and highly objectionable. Moire is thus caused by a pressing surface which is not smooth but instead has a regular pattern thereon. In contrast to moire is shine which results when the surface of a fabric is pressed to what appearsl to be a mirror finish.

While lthe objective of pressing is to smooth out wrinkles or obtain sharp creases, nevertheless the essential surface texture of the fabric should Ebe retained. 'Ihis invention is concerned with the problem of providing a pressing surface which in a garment pressfwill attain the objective of pressing, mainly elimination of wrinkles or creation of sharp creases, without at the same time imparting shine or moire to the fabric.

The invention in general provides a pressing member which has an active irregularly roughened surface for pressing. The irregularity of surface is three-dimensional in that no regular pattern of surface irregularity exists irrespective of the plane being considered. In particular, the general plane of pressing which is generally along the surface of the fabric and planes normal to this pressing plane show the pressing member embodying the invention as being irregular. The irregularity of the pressing member along planes normal to the pressing surface is preferably of a lower order of magnitude in comparison to the irregularity inthe fabric being pressed. As a result, a pressing member embodying the present invention, whether used in connection with steam permeable or a hot head press, is effective for pressing on a wide variety of fabrics while free from the undesirable effects of moire and shine.

A pressing member embodying the present invention includes as the active pressing portion thereof a face having what might be -generally termed as a rough or gritty surface, the roughness or grittiness being properly proportioned so that a desirable lifting action on the nap of the fabric is obtained. While the ydegree of roughness or grittiness may be varied over a substantial range, too coarse a roughness or grittiness (this being due to the points of the pressing member and the W points of the pressingmember being separated =by an excessive distance) cause damage to fibers.

The irregular surface forms a layer between the fabric to |be pressed and a plate carrying the press surface so that the surface of such platel will not affect the garment. Thus if the material making up the irregular surface is" carried by a rigid plate having round perforations, the irregular coverage of ysuch perforations by particles making up the irregular surface will prevent the garment being pressed from showing any pattern of plate Aperfo'- rations and thus prevent moire.

A pressing member embodying the present invention generally includes a backing surface which may be `flexible or rigid as ydesired and at the same time which may be steam permeable or not, as desired, said surface hav.` ing suitably attached thereto a rough coating consisting of irregularly shaped discrete bodies of hard solid material. Such materials may, for example, Ibe emery, sand, silicon carbide, granules or grit of metals `as aluminum or aluminum oxide, or of any solid material, either organic or inorganic, having sufficient crush resistance and resistance to corrosion and heat and susceptible to appli-vv cation to a supporting surface. Other materials such as precious or semiprecious stones in finely divided form, may also be used. It is not essential that the particle size of the material used be restricted to any narrow range. While a particular particle size will provide satisfactory surface irregularity, it is possible to use particles ranging from that passed by an mesh up to as high as about 200 mesh. A preferred range is between about and about 120 mesh per square inch. Except for particles of metal, the remaining materials that may be used to form a gritty surface are generally poor heat conductors and will protect the fibers against excessive temperatures. f

The nature of the lbond should be such that the par` ticles will be retained as an integral part of the pressing member under all conditions existing in a laundry or a dry cleaning establishment.

In order that the invention may tbe understood, it will' now lbe explained in connection with the drawings, wherein exemplary embodiments of the invention are specifically illustrated and disclosed. Variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention except as defined by the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings,

Figure 1 shows a plan view of a press plate having a surface construction embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the new press plate showing one form of backing mem-` ber having attached thereto rough particles.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the press plate illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional magnified, detail of a modified form of press plate embodying the present invention.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the magnified detail of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a sectional detail of still another form of press plate embodying the present invention.`

Figure 7 is a sectional detail of. a portion of a press plate for a hot head press.

Figure 8 is a sectional detail of a modified press plate for a hot head press.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the portion of the plate illustrated in Figure 8.

Referring first to Figure 1, member 10 may be part of a Igarment press machine, a pressing table or a hot head machine. Where member 10 is part of ar garment press, it may either be part of the buck or head or both.Y In case member 10 is part of a garment press, it may l. have a generally concave or convex configuration, .de-,

Patented May 26g,

pending upon whether the member is to be used as part of the head or part of the buck of the machine. Inasmuch as the press plate embodying the present invention may be made in any desired shape and size, no attempt will be made to show the various configurations to be assumed 'by the pressing plate when embodied in a garment lpressing or cleaning machine.

Referring -to Figures 2 and 3, one embodiment of the invention is illustrated wherein the press plate functions in the dual capacity of a steam diffuser and press plate. As is well known, garment presses have steam heads supplied with steam at a pressure of the order of about from 7S to 100 lbs., although other steam pressures are used. Steam at such pressure must be well diffused to avoid localized concentrated blasts of steam upon the garment heingpressed. A press plate having a sufficiently dense layer of irregularly shaped particles may function both as a steam diffuser and pressing member. When a large number of irregularly shaped particles are compacted together and attached to a member, a porous structure is formed having a large number of passages in all directions.

Thus referring to Figures 2 and 3, a plate of metal, plastic or other suitable solid material 12 has closely spaced passages or ports 13 therethrough for the passage of steam. Ports 13 in general will preferably be as small as possible and may, for example, have a diameter of the order of about -1/32 of an inch or smaller. Ports 13 may be formed by perforating solid metal or may be formed by having material 12 in the form of a mesh. Preferably the solid material of which plate member 12 is formed has a thickness substantially larger than the dimensions of the particles attached thereto and in practice plate 12 may have a thickness of the order of about 1)@,2 of an inch or larger.

Plate 12 which is either flexible or rigid, as desired, has face 15 covered with a suitable adhesive to which grit particles 16 adhere. Adhesive 1S is a bonding agent and may be any one of a number of resins or thermosetting materials or heat-resistant varnishes or silicones and, for example, may be a polyester resin sold by American Cyanarnid Co., under the trade name Laminac or an epoxy resin sold by Shell Chemical Company under the trademark Epon Where plate 12 is of a material such as iron which may be tinned, then adhesive or bonding agent 15 may be solder.

In the case of solder, it is possible to provide a solder which will solidify to form a rough surface. Solder may retain many grit particles on its surface without necessarily wetting the gritty particles.

Grit particles 16, as has been previously indicated, are preferably irregular in shape and may be of any of the materials previously `given or of metal such as copper, stainless steel or the like or of nonmetallic material such as powdered quartz, powdered garnet, powdered diamond, sand or synthetic materials such as rough particles of Bakelite or other thermosetting material, powdered glass, powdered porcelain, or the like. Preferably the size of particles 16 will be no larger than can pass through an 80 mesh screen and may go down in iineness to a 120 mesh. The maximum size of the particles will be determined in some measure by the specific use to which the pressing surface is to be put, the nature of the irregular particles, their crush resistance and the like. In general, however, it may be desirable to have the maximum particle size somewhat smaller than can pass an 80 mesh screen.

It will be observed that the various particles form a porous irregular covering for the plate 4backing layer and provide a large number of minute passageways through the pressing layer of irregularly shaped particles. By selecting a bonding agent which is substantially not affected by steam and which will retain the pressing layer against the backing plate in spite of the steam pressure, it will be apparent that Vthe pressing layer of ,4 irregularly shaped particles may be made to function as a steam diffusing means.

The backing layer may also be made of woven glass fibers, the fibers and weave resembling canvas. The glass fabric is porous. The grit is retained with cement and the combination of glass fabric backing and ygrit may function as a steam diffusing means having a rough press-y ing surface.

While apertures 13 in plate 12 may be provided prior to the application of the grit, it is possible to provide apertures through the plate after the grit has been applied.

It is preferred, however, to have plate 12 provided with apertures 13 prior to the application of the grit. Since the grit will be applied in an irregular fashion to the surface of plate 12, there will be no circular openings at the pressing surface, apertures 13 :being generally covered in part by pieces of irregularly shaped grit. The porosity of the grit assembly will permit steam to pass through apertures 13 in plate 12 and then diffuse through the space between grit particles. The lack of any regular pattern of openings in the pressing surface due to the presence of apertures 13 in plate 12 will eliminate moire.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, apertured plate 12 is shown, this plate having small arched portions 18 open at the ends of the arch to provide steam openings 19 and 20. Plate 12 is more fully disclosed and claimed in the copending application of Roy M. Schultz, Serial No. 341,- 425, filed March 10, 1953, issued as Patent No. 2,743,541 on May l, 1956, and assigned to the salme assignee as the present application. Plate 12 is useful as a steam diffuser and functions not only to reduce the velocity of the steam ybut also to `diffuse the steam. As illustrated in Figure 4, the arched portions are disposed on one side or face of the plate, leaving the other side of the plate smooth except for depressions. The arches are higher than the thickness of the plate and are offset enough to cause shearing of the plate to form openings 19 and 20. As a rule, the arches are disposed to provide a random orientation of the openings and there are usually provided as many as several hundred such arched openings to a square inch of plate surface. Such a diffuser plate may conveniently provide excellent support for grit particles 16. The grit particles may be applied to the smooth side of the plate as illustrated in Figure 4. It is possible, however, to apply these particles to the rough side of the plate. In such case, the grit layer should be thick enough to cover the arches. In all cases, the side of the plate having the grit material will be the active pressing face of the plate.

Referring to Figure 6, plate 12, similar to plate 12 in Figure 2, is illustrated. This plate has aperture 13 and has applied thereto on one side thereof coarse fabric 23 upon one side of which there is cemented grit particles 24. Fafbric 23 together with grit particles 24 may resemble emery cloth and in fact, the combination of fabric 23 and grit particles 24 may consist of an emery cloth. In this form it is preferred, however, to have the cloth provided with an open weave so that the cloth will be porous to steam. The grit particles on the cloth as illustrated in Figure 6 may be any one or a number of the materials previously identified and these particles may be attached to the cloth by cement or other means, as used for example in the manufacture of emery cloth. The cloth with the grit may be applied to the smooth side of plate 12' of Figure 4.

Referring to Figure 7, solid plate 26 is provided, this plate being of metal and `having a layer of cement 27 to which is attached grit particles 28. Solid plate 26 may form part of the head of a press to be used for hot head pressing. With such a head, the steam is used solely for heating the head and none is allowed to pass through plate 26.

Referring now to Figures 8 and 9, further modified forms of the hot head press plate are illustrated. In Figures 8 and 9, plate 26' has cemented thereto what in effect is a sheet of emery cloth. Cloth backing 23 in Figure 8 is cemented or firmly attached to backing plate 26'. This cloth backing carries grit particles 24'. In the modifications illustrated in Figures 8 and 9, the cloth backing need not be porous.

Press plate 12, embodying the gritty surface construction described above, will be provided with suitable means as springs, belts, clasps or the like for retaining the press plate in position on the head of a garment press or other device.

This is a continuation-impart of my application Serial No. 374,936, tiled on August 18, 1953, which in turn is a continuation-impart of my application Serial No. 311,- 874, led September 27, 1952.

I claim:

1. A press plate removable and replaceable as a unit on a garment press, comprising a perforated rigid backing member and irregularly shaped gritty sharp edged particles of aluminum oxide having a neness of between about 80 and about 120 mesh, said particles being irregularly bonded to one face of said backing member by a polyester resin binder to provide a rough irregular porous surface on said backing member, some of said particles extending over the perforations in the plane of the surface of said 'backing member to diffuse steam passing through the perforations in the backing member.

2. A press plate removable and replaceable as a unit on a garment press, comprising a perforated rigid backing member and irregularly shaped, gritty, sharp edged, nonmetallic particles which are resistant to pressure, heat and moisture and which have a ineness of between about and about 200 mesh, sa-id particles being irregularly bonded to one face of said backing member by a thermosetting binder which is resistant to heat and moisture to provide a rough, irregular surface on said backing member, some of said particles extending over the perforations in the plane of the surface of said backing member to diffuse steam passing through the perforations in the fbacking member.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,230,984 Benjamin et al. lune 26, 1917 2,165,955 Haarhoi July 11, 1939 2,219,853 Tone Oct. 29, 1940 2,600,913 Olson June 17, 1952 2,632,968 Ray Mar. 31, 1953 

